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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24066556">could i pay with cash?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/maketea/pseuds/maketea'>maketea</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Miraculous Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Fluff, Mutual Pining, Post-Reveal Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Secret Relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 19:27:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>593</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24066556</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/maketea/pseuds/maketea</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>a secret code seemed appropriate for a secret relationship -- and what better code could there be for them than pastry orders?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>65</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>768</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>could i pay with cash?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Marinette turned when the entrance bell chimed.</p><p>And her heart leapt into action.</p><p>Because there Adrien was, <em> finally </em>, after a week-long fashion trip to Milan.</p><p>Had he grown taller? His head seemed higher up on the door than it had been a week ago. Maybe stronger, too? She watched the muscles in his forearm flex as he let Nathalie in first, before following suit.</p><p>"Please hurry up, Adrien. We're already running late."</p><p>"Sorry. I'm starving."</p><p>The way he caught Marinette's eyes told her their conversation had begun.</p><p>
  <em> I'm starving = I missed you. </em>
</p><p>"Hey, Adrien." She smiled at him the way she smiled at every customer. "It's been a while."</p><p>
  <em> I missed you, too. </em>
</p><p>For a moment, he paused, and Marinette wondered if he forgot their code.</p><p>His eyes softened on her, and he clasped his hands in front of him in a manner she, too, had gotten into the habit of doing whenever she wanted to reach for him, but couldn't.</p><p>"Uh," he said, "I… I like your apron. Did you make it?"</p><p>
  <em> You look beautiful. </em>
</p><p>She bent her head so Nathalie, scrutinising and stoic as she stood by the door, couldn't see her flush. "Yeah. I could make you one if you ever want to start baking."</p><p>
  <em> So do you. </em>
</p><p>He grinned. "Sounds great." </p><p>It was custom for him to make a spectacle of looking at the pastries on display, even if the only thing he ever came for was to catch a glimpse of Marinette — and for Marinette to catch a glimpse of him, too.</p><p>But the spectacle didn't go unappreciated. He glanced up from the display glass and their gazes brushed tentatively, carefully, like arms do while walking — after a week of being apart even that would have satiated the two of them.</p><p>But all they had for the time being was their secret code, baked into the pastries behind the display glass.</p><p>"Could I have… a pain au chocolat…</p><p>
  <em> Let's meet… </em>
</p><p>"...with a chocolate chip cookie…</p><p>
  <em> ...at the Eiffel Tower… </em>
</p><p>"...and a blueberry muffin."</p><p>
  <em> ...at midnight. </em>
</p><p>Marinette frowned. "We're out of blueberry." <em> That's too far off. </em> "Is cinnamon okay?" <em> What about after I finish my shift? </em></p><p>He smiled. "Now that I think about it, cinnamon sounds better, anyway."</p><p>She ducked behind the display glass to retrieve his order and let herself blush behind the pastries. "Coming right up."</p><p>With the hand not clamped around her tongs, she checked how fast her heart was beating and let out a shaky, giddy sigh.</p><p>"Oh, sorry, I almost forgot," Adrien said.</p><p>Marinette shot back up. "Yeah?"</p><p>"Could I also get a lemonade?"</p><p>
  <em> I wish I could kiss you right now. </em>
</p><p>"L-lemonade." There was no use covering her face, now. "Good choice."</p><p>
  <em> I wish you could, too. </em>
</p><p>She rang up his items, telling herself to behave, to keep her eyes focused on his pastries and lemonade (oh, <em> lemonade </em>) and not on the photoshoot lip gloss shimmering on his mouth or the blue of the veins in his wrists or the sight of his collarbones peeking out of his shirt and knowing how she had kissed them the last time they were together.</p><p>"Could I pay with cash?" he asked.</p><p>
  <em> I love you. </em>
</p><p>Marinette bit her lip and dared to look up. "Sure, not a problem."</p><p>
  <em> I love you, too. </em>
</p><p>He counted his change with unwavering focus. Marinette proffered her hand palm-up. Adrien dropped in a few euros, and dragged his fingers along her skin as he pulled back.</p><p>"See you later," he said, bag in hand.</p><p>"Y-yeah." She waved at him. "See you."</p>
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